Mekat's Golf Trek

Scratch, the final frontier.
These are the voyages of the star-ship, Handicap.
Its continuing mission, to seek out new lows, and new ways to concentration
To boldly go, where her game's not gone before.

I am not sure what the star-dates will be, but I know what the Prime Directive is... play it as it lies.
The Handicap is currently on impulse power in sector 8, close to its border with sector 7, specifically in the 7.7 region. This was after a brief stay at Star-base 8 at its vector of 8.0.

Captain's log, star-date: who cares - .less
Today we entered the Sandancor Nebula, ancestral home of an annoying species know as the Phuctuputt. While their presence can be annoying to the point of injury, it is rate than a single Phuctuputt has proven fatal; but as a group they can be devastating.
In the course of the day we did encounter a number of Phuctuputts. causing damage to navigation while travelling in the densest areas of the nebula, but the shields were able to withstand the worst of later attacks.
To paraphrase. The greens were cored and sanded yesterday, rendering putting as little more than a lottery, especially on the front nine.
Focusing on a single aspect of my swing is a good anchor for my thoughts, but with flocks of screaming cockies filling the pine trees in the front nine, chatty new golfers in my group, and gritty sand all over the greens, I found that anchor dragged for time to time
Front nine â€“ 43 off stick (17 pts)
again, no warm up (ran late)
4 Pars (2, 4, 8, 9) - 3-putted on 8th
4 Bogeys (1, 3, 6, 7) - 3-putted on 1st and 7th
1 Double bogey (5)
Fairways (6/7)
GIR (4)
Missed greens
2nd, back fringe (1-putt Par)
3rd right fringe (2-putt Bogey)
5th left (pick-up Double Bogey)
6th short, green-side bunker (2-putt Bogey)
9th right fringe (1-putt Par)
Back nine â€“ 40 off stick (18 points)
1 Double Bogey (15)
1 Bogey (18)
7 Pars (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17)
Fairways (4/7)
GIR (4)
Missed greens
10th right fringe (1-putt Par)
11th short, under-clubbed into wind (1-putt Par)
12th, back, overshoot (1-putt Par)
15th right, Miss-hit out of fairway bunker (pick-up Double Bogey)
18th short, green-side bunker (two putt Bogey)
Tuesday, Stableford, front markersâ€“ result: 83 off stick (35 pts)
Differential 12
2 Double Bogey
5 bogeys
11 pars
FIR â€“ 71%
GIR â€“ 50%
Putts â€“ 30 (17 & 13) - not counting pick ups on 5 & 15
Handicap remains 7.7

Captain's log - Friday
Still navigating through the Sandancor nebula.
An overheating coil in habitation control made for a warm night with disturbed sleep. This lead to a drop in performance efficiency today.
An unidentified Trade-day delegation preceded us in this area of the nebula today, and were travelling at barely impulse power. As today's journey was shortened by circumstances, I am relieved that they will not be about during tomorrow's planned journey.
Paraphrase: Greens still affected by core and sanding from early in the seek. Warm weather overnight made for an uncomfortable night's sleep, and that it was a hot day today, the comp was reduced to a 9 hole comp (extrapolated to 18 for handicapping). We were behind a trade-day group who were slower than molasses running uphill.
Not happy with ball-striking today. Maybe my head was not in a good space for today's round. Began by driving into a poor position in fairway bunker, getting out but into rough, then left of the green, then on for four. First putt too long (over-compensating for sand), second putt lipped out - hole over (pick-up). Just the start you need for a truncated round, where every point is actually two.
Drive off second was again in sand, just short of pin high. Sand shot finished close, and short putt dropped - even though the ball changed direction twice. Par.
While the third was a regulation par, the fourth was a misery. Drive missing left, finishing behind large shrub, blocking both view and access to the fairway ahead. Lateral chip, and third shot saw me where I would have expected to be for two. Just off the back of the green for four, on for five, and a two putt double bogey seven.
Four holes done and only five points to show for it... the game was gone.
Like the third, the fifth was a regulation par, and the sixth was just wayward. Miss-hit drive missed left, second shot left me short of the green. Lazy pitch shot was still short, then on for four, one putt bogey. If I am going to hit a pitch shot, a least I can give enough effort to let the ball land anywhere on the green...can't I?
The seventh saw me hit my second fairway for the round (will wonders never cease?), and my second shot was the most satisfying stroke I played all day.
One big problem with my home course at the moment is that not only is there Kikuyu right up to green's edge on many holes - which makes shots landing just ff the green something of a lottery in relation to how the ball will bounce - but also with the greens cored and sanded, any shots landing on the green will have little or no run. This was the scenario for the100m approach shot to the seventh green. The shot landed just on the front of the green, one small hop and stop near the front of the green with the pin set back. A three-putt bogey to make you scream.
The eighth was another regulation par, as was the ninth (except missing the fairway).
At the gym one works with weights... today on the course I worked with waits.
Front nine â€“ 43 off stick (16 pts)
plenty of warm up (doesn't seem to make any difference)
5 Pars (2, 3, 5, 8, 9)
2 Bogeys (6, 7)
2 Double bogeys (1, 4)
Fairways (3/7)
GIR (5)
Missed greens
1st, short, out of fairway bunker (pick-up Double Bogey)
2nd left green-side bunker (1-putt Par)
4th short, having to recover from trouble (2-putt Double Bogey)
6th short, having to recover from rough (1-putt Bogey)
Round extrapolated to 18 holes
32 points, differential 15
Handicap remains 7.7

The new (Winter) season opened today with a two ball 9 hole Ambrose, and presentation of Summer awards. I picked up the Summer Eclectic and both the Tuesday and Friday birdie prizes.
In the Ambrose (played from the standard marks) I teamed up with a fellow pennant team mate. I delivered the distance off the tee and fairway, and she provided good putts. Between us we parred every hole bar the 9th which we bogeyed.
Even though we had a small handicap (6.25 - calculated by adding half our handicaps together and dividing by two) I though we might have a chance at winning the comp - or at least being in the ball count... but it seems there were a few groups of three that were playing at the back of the field... and the three prizes went to three-ball groups - even though the comp was a two ball Ambrose....
Ah well, such is life.
Good-bye Summer, hello Winter season, time to begin to prepare for Club Championships (in April) and later, pennant (in May/June).